Muguruza becomes first Spanish woman to reach final since 1994
LONDON — Garbine Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to reach the Wimbledon final since 1996 when she beat Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 3-6 6-3 in an engrossing Centre Court duel yesterday.
LONDON — Garbine Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to reach the Wimbledon final since 1996 when she beat Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 3-6 6-3 in an engrossing Centre Court duel yesterday.
Muguruza will face either world No 1 and five-time champion Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final. World No 1 Williams of the United States, and Russian fourth seed Sharapova were scheduled to be in action in the other semi-final at press time last night.
Muguruza is now just one more win away to becoming the first Spanish woman to win the singles title at Wimbledon since Conchita Martinez beat Martina Navratilova in 1994.
“I don’t have words to explain it,” Muguruza told BBC Sport.
“I worked all my life to achieve this moment. I think I was playing really well so I had to stay calm and keep a poker face.
“I knew it was going to be tough. I was nervous in second set. She has a lot of experience and I had to fight.”
The 20th-seeded Muguruza, whose previous best finish in a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the quarter-finals of this year’s French Open, showed no early nerves in the biggest match of her career and seemed to be on course for a quickfire victory when she powered through the first set and moved 3-1 ahead in the second.
But wily 13th seed Radwanska, playing her third Wimbledon semi-final, dug her heels in and the momentum shifted her way with a run of six successive games.
Muguruza, the youngest of the semi-finalists, never lost heart though despite going down an early break in the decider, and after winning a tense service game at 2-2 she broke Radwanska and then held her own serve for a 5-2 ahead.
There were understandable nerves as Muguruza, 21, served for the match at 5-3, not helped by a foot-fault and a double-fault, but she clinched victory on her first match point with a swinging forehand volley after a powerful first serve forced Radwanska into a desperate high return. AGENCIES